THERE were no deaths of people who tested positive for coronavirus registered yesterday in Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon announced.
She said this falling on a weekday was significant because zero deaths of positive patients have only previously been recorded around the weekend when registration figures tend to be artificially low.
Speaking at the Scottish Government’s coronavirus briefing, the First Minister said this was the first time it had happened on a weekday since before lockdown and meant deaths under this measure remained at 2842.
The proportion of coronavirus tests in Scotland that are positive are now “well below” 1%, she added, and were at 0.3% on Thursday.
Sturgeon said 18,213 people had tested positive for the virus across Scotland, up 17 from 18,196 on Thursday.
She said the percentage of positive tests is “one of many signs of the progress we are making”.
The First Minister told the briefing 823 people were in hospital with confirmed or suspected Covid-19, a drop of three in 24 hours.
Of these patients, 17 were in intensive care, a fall of one.
She also addressed scenes at Kelvingrove Park in Glasgow on Thursday night, when police were forced to clear the park and two people were arrested.
“While I understand – and I really, really do – people’s desire to enjoy the sunshine on the very few days a year we have any, please avoid crowded places,” she said.
“This virus will take those opportunities if we give them to it, so we mustn’t provide them.”
She stressed everyone in Scotland has a duty to ensure the safety of the public and staff when non-essential retail shops open on Monday.
Guidance from the Scottish Government, published yesterday, urged Scots to shop locally – within five miles of their home – shop alone or in as small a group as possible and to choose to visit shops outside of peak times. Sturgeon “strongly advised” shoppers wear face coverings but stopped short of making it mandatory.
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